This invention relates to novel alkaline earth metal-heptane dionate compounds, to a process for preparing such compounds, and to a process for using such compounds to deposit layers containing alkaline earth metal.
Alkaline earth metal-heptane dionate compounds of the general formula (I), M(R).sub.2, wherein M is calcium, strontium or barium, and R is 2,6-dimethyl-3,5-heptane dionate, 2,2,6-trimethyl-3,5-heptane dionate or 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptane dionate, are already known from the scientific literature.
It is also already known that these compounds are vaporizable and can therefore be used for depositing layers containing alkaline earth metal, for instance in the production of superconductive, oxide-ceramic layers. However, the commercially available alkaline earth metal-heptane dionate compounds known in the art still have drawbacks. For instance, they have non-uniform weight loss or evaporation properties, so that the weight loss or evaporation rate soon drops from relatively high initial values to relatively low values.